{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Soft Sensibilities","provider_url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog","author_name":"Kimberly","author_url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/author\/kimberlypearl-92gmail-com\/","title":"Five Things (11.14.25) &#8226; Soft Sensibilities","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"pVoxH1o6mW\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/five-things-11-14-25\/\">Five Things (11.14.25)<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/five-things-11-14-25\/embed\/#?secret=pVoxH1o6mW\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Five Things (11.14.25)&#8221; &#8212; Soft Sensibilities\" data-secret=\"pVoxH1o6mW\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","description":"It&#8217;s been a while, so I&#8217;m avoiding the awkward post-interlude pre-requisite explanations with a list of Five Things instead. 1. I&#8217;m reading again. Only in short spurts, unfortunately, but something is better than nothing. I&#8217;ve become too accustomed, too comfortable with resorting to bursts of instant gratification instead of turning to the slow burn of a book like I once did. Scrolling TikTok for the latest news (the only platform with less censored reporting, if fed with the right engagement) had turned into a mindless dependency. Idle behavior slowly cooking already stagnant cells, it seems. The Internet justifies doomscrolling because the world at large appears to be burning. We&#8217;re swimming against a wave of rampant anti-intellectualism and rise in fa\u0d1fc\u1f31st ideology, so the desire to occasionally dull the senses should be understandable. Justifiable even.\u00a0It&#8217;s certainly healthier than other activities, including retail therapy. But we can&#8217;t. This mind-numbing desensitization is precisely what they want. The less we think, the less we do. The more we scroll, the more we feed the machine that churns out slop to satiate the addiction. The greater we consume, the less we learn, grow, question, create. (Not to mention the incredible privilege touted in being able&hellip;","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/scaffolding-book-by-lauren-elkin-chanel-lip-liner.jpg"}